Verbascum plant named ‘Jackie in Spots’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Verbascum,  ‘Jackie in Spots’, characterized by its creamy white flowers that are blushed with pink margins with red-purple center, its pubescent grey-green foliage, its compact growth habit, and its long blooming habit.

Botanical classification: Verbascum hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Jackie In Spots’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Verbascum plant, botanically known as Verbascum ‘Jackie in Spots’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Jackie in Spots’. The new cultivar represents a new Mullein, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Jackie in Spots’, in a cultivated growing area at his nursery in Valkenburg, The Netherlands in the summer of 2002. ‘Jackie in Spots’ originated as a naturally occurring chimeral mutation of Verbascum ‘Jackie in Pink’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,735).

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation in Noordwijk, The Netherlands in August of 2003 under the direction of the inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Jackie in Spots’ from other varieties of Verbascum known to the inventor.

-   -   1. Flowers are creamy white in color with red purple centers.         The petal margins and tips are blushed with red-purple.     -   2. Exhibits grey-green foliage with a pronounced pubescent         surface imparting a silvery appearance.     -   3. Reaches a compact height of 46 cm and a spread of about 31 cm         at maturity.     -   4. Long blooming; blooms from May to late August in temperate         climates.

‘Jackie in Spots’ differs from the parent plant, ‘Jackie in Pink’, primarily in flower color as the flowers of ‘Jackie in Pink’ are pale pink with red-purple centers. ‘Jackie in Spots’ differs from the cultivar ‘Rosie’ (U.S. Pat. No. 14,167) in that the flowers of ‘Jackie in Spots’ are white versus pink in color, and similarly to ‘Jackie in Pink’, the foliage is more pubescent, and the growth habit is more compact (less spreading).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Verbascum.

The photograph in FIG. 1 is a view of a plant of ‘Jackie in Spots’ in bloom in September as grown in a one-gallon container.

The photograph in FIG. 2 is of a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Jackie in Spots’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Verbascum.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 2 year-old plants of the new cultivar as field grown under natural light in Valkenburg, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with the 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Jackie in Spots’ is a cultivar of     Verbascum of hybrid origin. -   Parentage: Naturally occurring chimeral mutation of Verbascum     ‘Jackie in Pink’. -   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—May through late August in temperate             climates.         -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, clump-forming, upright             flower scapes arise from a rosette of basal foliage.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 31 cm in width and about 46             cm in height.         -   Hardiness.—Cold hardy to at least USDA Zone 6, tolerant to a             high temperature of at least 30° C.         -   Culture.—Grows best in full sun in alkaline, very             well-drained soils of low fertility.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fibrous. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method,             division are also possible.         -   Time required for root development.—8 weeks to fully develop             in a 32 cell in soil-less media when grown at 70-80° F. in a             greenhouse without supplemental lighting from a rooted             plantlet from tissue culture. A 32-cell plug will fully             develop to flowering size grown outdoors under natural             lighting in about 15 weeks in a one-gallon container or in             the field. Fall, winter and spring are preferred for root             development.         -   Growth rate.—Slow to moderate, grows about 8 cm per month in             spring. -   Stem description:     -   -   Stem size.—About 1.5 to 3.0 cm in length, 3 to 5 mm in             width, appearance is stemless as foliage is arranged in a             basal rosette on short, branchless stems.         -   Stem shape.—Round.         -   Stem color.—144A to 144B.         -   Stem surface.—Dull, villous with light green-white (too fine             for color code) branched hairs about 0.5 mm in length.         -   Branching.—Basal foliage only. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Rounded on basal leaves and attenuate on stem             leaves.         -   Leaf apex.—Rounded to acute.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate pattern, color 145C on upper surface             and lower surface, raised on lower surface.         -   Leaf margins.—Crenate (average of 4 teeth per cm).         -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile on stem leaves, petiolate on scape             leaves.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal foliage; rosette, flower scapes;             alternate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surface; slightly rugose and             pubescent with hairs about 0.3 mm in length.         -   Leaf color.—Young: 137A to 137B on upper surface and 137C on             lower surface, mature; upper surface 137A and lower surface             137B to 137C.         -   Leaf size.—Basal leaves; average of 9.1 cm in length and 4.5             cm in width, flower scape leaves; average of 5.5 cm in             length and 2.7 cm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 5 basal leaves and 8 scape leaves             per stem.         -   Leaf durability to stress.—High.         -   Petioles.—Average of 2.8 cm in length and an average of 4.5             mm and 3 mm in width (oval in shape), 144C to 144D in color,             surface is glabrous. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Racemes on flower scapes arising from             basal foliage.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Indeterminate, each flower             last about 5 days, self-cleaning.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Average of 26.1 cm in height (from             lowest flower to apex) and an average of 5.5 cm in width.         -   Flower scapes.—Average of 5 main scapes and 8 lateral stems             per main scape, length of main scape is up to 31 cm with an             average width of 3.5 mm, length of lateral scapes is an             average of 13.4 cm with an average width of 2.5 mm.         -   Flower size.—Average of 1.3 cm in depth and 3.9 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower number.—About 75 per flowering stem (includes lateral             scapes) at one time but new flowers are continuously formed             from the apex throughout the summer.         -   Flower buds.—About 6 mm in length and 1 cm in diameter,             flattened pentagonal in shape, 182C in color with 64A at the             margins of the petals.         -   Flower type.—Rotate, symmetrical, perfect, outward facing.         -   Calyx.—Deeply 5 parted, sepals united at base and spreading             when flower opens, average of 7 mm in length and 1.3 cm in             diameter, 143A in color, slightly pubescent surface.         -   Sepals.—5, narrowly lanceolate in shape, average of 7 mm in             length and 2 mm in width with attenuating to apex, surface             is dull with lower surface densely covered with glandular             hairs<0.2 mm in length, light orange in color (too fine to             color code), entire margins, acute apex, broadly cuneate             base, 143A in color on upper surface and 143A in color on             lower surface becoming 143B towards base.         -   Corolla features.—Petals distinct but fused at base to a             short tube (lower 15%) that is 5 mm in length, and 144D in             color, petals overlap near the proximal region, petals             broadly flaring with reflexed edges creating a wavy             appearance.         -   Petals.—5, orbicular in shape, average of 2 cm in length and             2.3 cm in width, apex is rounded to reniform, margin is             entire and sinuate, surface is glabrous and smooth, color             opening upper surface; between 158D and 11D with margins and             tips flushed with a color lighter than 70C and a base of             60D, color opening lower surface; 158D with margins with a             color lighter than 70C, color fully open upper surface;             155C, margins and tips flushed with 70B and N74C, a base of             60C and the main vein flushed 8C near the change from             red-purple to white, color fully open lower surface; 155A to             155C, margins and areas of 70C and N74D but lighter.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, held upright on main stem and at an             average of 20° from scape on lateral scapes, up to 31 cm in             length and an average of 3 mm in diameter, 144B in color,             surface is villous on basal region becoming glabrous towards             apex, internodes between flowers about 5 mm to 1.7 cm.         -   Pedicel.—Strong, average of 1.3 cm in length and 1 mm in             width, held at about 80° from upright, 143B in color,             surface is glabrous.         -   Bracts.—Present at the base of each flower, linear in shape,             average of 9 mm in length and 3 mm in width, both surfaces             are 143B in color and densely covered with very short (<2 mm             in length) hairs that are light orange and too fine to color             code. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, about 1.1 cm in length and 1 mm in             width; style is N170B in color, stigma is club-shaped and             N144B in color, style is about 1 cm in length and N170B in             color, ovary is superior and 143C in color.         -   Androecium.—5 stamens, about 2 mm in width and 9 mm in             length, filament is N79B to 158C in color and covered with             short hairs, anther is N25B in color, dorsifixed and broad             triangular, pollen quantity is moderate and 25A in color.         -   Fruit.—No fruit or seeds have been observed under the             conditions tested. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbascum plant named ‘Jackie In Spots’ as herein illustrated and described. 